Hazarajat, also known as Hazaristan, is the name given to a region in central Afghanistan that makes up the native homeland of Afghanistan's Hazara ethnic group. It is made up of the three central provinces of Bamyan, Daykundi and Ghor and includes large areas of Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Orūzgān, Balkh, Sar-e Pol, Samangan and Baghlan. The region has also been known as Paropamizan or Paropamise.

History

Little information exists on the history of the region however, at different times it has remained under Persian, Greek, Indian, Mongol and Temurid rule. Archaeological finds can be traced back to the Greek empire of Bactria and Buddhist India.

Recent findings by Professor Bivar in the Jaghori and Uruzgan districts of southern Hazarajat prove that it was a part of the Zabulistan kingdom and later the heart of Koshanid Empire.

In the pre-Islamic period Hazarajat was made up of small autonomous Buddhist states such as Qandahar, Ghor, Bamiyan and Zamindawar. Ruins of the capital the ancient Kingdom of Babur Shah can still be found at Chel Burj in Yakawlang, Bamian. The Kushano-Hephthalite empire was followed by the Sassanians.

Subsequent rulers of the region include the Ghorids, Persians, Ghaznavids and Moghuls. They were followed by Chengiz (Gengez) Khan in 1220. Tradition has it that Gengez's son was killed in the fighting for the city of Gholghola in Bamian. Enraged, Gengez Khan ordered his forces to kill every living being present in the city, even cats and mice. These and similar historical records prove that the Hazaras put up stiff resistance against the invading armies of Changez Khan; which resulted in the devastation of their land and themselves. Later the region remained colony to the Ilkhanids, Chughtais and Khurasani Kingdoms. Hazaras enjoyed full autonomy after the breakdown of the Ilkhanid Empire until the Afghan invasion the late 19 century.

Boundaries

Hazarajat lies roughly between 600 and 680 East-West and 330 and 350 North-south covering about 15,000 square miles, stretching from Wardak in the East to Chakcharan and Ghorat in the West. It's northern limit is Darra e Sauf in Sare Pul and stretches as far as the limits of Qandahar province and Moqur in the South. It is situated on the crossroads of Afghanistan's major cities but does not include any major city or international borders.

In the 1890s, rapid Pashtunization of the region under Amir Abur Rehman led to destruction of the region and its natives and ended up with the Hazaras losing approximately 60% of their population and land in the war of independence. Thus, Hazarjat was reduced to half its earlier size.

Important towns

Hazarajat does not have any major cities. Important in alphabetical order inclue Ajrestan, Anguri, Akzarat, Ashtarlai, Bamyan, Behsud, Bidsay, Bad-e Asiah, Chora, DaiKundi, Daulat Yar, Deh Mirdad, Daya wa Chopan, Gizao, Khamenil, Khidir, Loman, Malistan, Niak, Nawar, Panjab, Qarabagh, Sabz-Ab, Jaghori, Sar-e-Jangal, Sharistan, Uruzgan, Yakaolang, Zardalu

Climate

Situated high in the Hindu Kush and Koh e Baba mountains, the Hazarajat plateau has extremely cold and harsh climate dominated by heavy snowfalls, snow storms and short, hot summers. Winters span to over 6 months before snow melts. Like most of Afghanistan, Hazarajat also lacks greenery and is poorly covered with vegetation, there is no forest in the region and the slopes are bare.

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